Mehefil-e-Ghazal

Chandan Dass

2010-03-02T02:34:00.000-08:00

Simple, soulful and melodious, Chandan Dass epitomizes the modern style of ghazal singing to the core. Purists may find his compositions too simple to their liking but he is one of the very special ghazal singers(though unfortunately underrated). His compositions though simple, may not necessarily be easy to sing. His voice has a signature smoothness. Some of his best compositions are:

1. Woh khwaab tha bichhad gaya

2. Raaton mein gar na ashq

3. Yeh chiraag benazar hain

4. Khelne ke waste

5. Jab meri haqeeqat

Anup Jalota

2009-09-14T00:13:00.001-07:00

The Bhajan Samrat is a competent Ghazal singer too. His rendition is well balanced in terms of use of classical techniques as well as importance of poetry. Most of his compositions are based on faster tempo with lot of emphasis on rhythm. His temperament matches a lot with Great Ghulam Ali, in the sense that he expresses sadness in the poetry in a lighter vein. Sargams are very much part of his rendition. Some of my favorites are:

1. Chaand angdayeeyan

2. Chaman se kaun chala

3. Dil lagana dil jalana

4. Bhool jana tha

5. Dil se tumhari yaad

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Ahmed Hussain & Mohd Hussain

2009-02-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

It is quite unique to see two males singing ghazals together(unlike a couple, who can add a romantic dimension to ghazals). But these two brothers has taken ghazal rendition to a new level by their sheer brilliance over classical music. Also they have brought a feel of harmony in ghazal singing. They use so much of improvisation in their rendition that listeners keep guessing what's coming next. It's a pity their concerts are rare, they have a temperament which is suited for concerts and I am sure their concerts are treat to watch. My personal favorites are as mentioned below:

1. Haal-e-gham unko sunate jaiye
2. Pyaar ka jazbaa
3. Kitni bhi yeh raat hassen ho
4. Rah-e-ulfat mein aap saath nehi
5. Do jawaan dilon ka gham

Pankaj Udhas

2009-01-19T05:31:00.000-08:00

The much maligned singer for bringing down ghazal to common people by ivory tower ghazal connoisseurs. His forte is simplicity be it his choice of shers or his compositions. But he can sometimes touch your soul with soft melody in his velvet voice. It's sad that he could not reproduce his 80's work in recent past. Some of my favorites from Pankaj Udhas is

1. Dil mein naa ho jurrat
2. Tum aye zindegi mein to
3. Dard sinet se utha
4. Garmi-e-hasrat-e-naqaam se jal jate hain
5. Deewaron se milkar rona

Talat Aziz

2009-01-18T23:51:00.000-08:00

The most handsome ghazal singer :). One of the leading ghazal singer from the early 80's lot. Talat Aziz has a soft soothing voice complimented by control over raagdaari. He has worked under Mehdi Hassan, and maestro's singing style is also evident in his rendition. Unfortunately he has been quite inconsistent as far as his presence in terns of new releases is concerned. His foray into acting also effected his career as a ghazal singer. His compositions also range from excellent to ordinary. However, overall Talat Aziz remain one of the leading ghazal singers in India.

My personal favorites are:

1. Mere to ek baat ka
2. Tum naghma-emaa ho
3. Kais sukoon paoon
4. Maine ek asiyanaa jalaya tha
5. Aisa lagta hain zindegi tum ho

Farida Khanum

2008-07-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

One of the best ghazal singers. She has a voice which is sensuous, expressive yet subtle. She has a unique rendition technique where she uses expression as a perfect foil to her mastery over classical music. She uses lay which is quite difficult to follow(this becomes evident when you try to sing her compositions with your friend accompanying in tabla ;)). Her voice is so sweet that it blends with sarangee like suger in milk. My personal favorites are:

1. Aaj jaane ki zid na karo.
2. Mere ham nafas
3. Afat ki shaukian
4. Mohabbot karnewale
5. Uzr aane me bhi hain

Do dil do rahen- Tribute to Mehdi Hassan

2008-04-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

This album is a tribute to Mehdi Hassan. Some of the leading ghazal singers from India & Pakistan sang in it. Here is my assessment for them(Strictly based on this album. I like them all otherwise):

Jagjit Singh: Same compositions; disappointing(the compositions are his signature style melodious but same. I was expecting him to render Mehdi Saabs compositions like others did.).

Ghulam Ali: Even more disappointing. Again probably his own composition. Same style. Lot of techniques very little soul. Even his voice seems to have lost its trademark sweetness. How one wish Ghulam Ali singing a Mehdi Hassan composition.

Abida Parveen: Great rendition. Mehdi Hassans compositions in her own gayaki. Great selection of Ghazals."Khuli jo aankh" is truly out of this world.

Hariharan: The best. Great selection, superb rendition. No unnecessary classical showoffs.

Suresh Wadkar: Nice rendition. "Dekhna unka" was great. His soft voice does complete justice to the song.

Jaspinder Nirula: Surprise package. "Jab ghata koi" is beautifully rendered.

Anup Jalota: Very nice rendition in "Khwab juda".

Pankaj Udhas: Complete wastage of disk space(sorry PU fans!).

Humaira Channa: Very nice. She stuck to the original compositions.

Kamraan Hassan: Good in "Tanhaa tanhaa". But little bit of dramaabazi is there in the song.

Overall: This is a must buy album. According to me Hariharan is the best with Abida Parveen a close second.

Ek Hi Baat Zamane Ki- Mohd Rafi Ghazal

2008-02-18T00:20:00.001-08:00

Listen to his rendition. He could have given all the ghazal maestros run for their money.

Ustad Amanat Ali Khan

2008-02-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have only recently listened to him and was floored immediately. His style of singing is impeccable. His voice performs the nuances of sur with great ease and he has a great sense of discipline which many of the classical singers forget while singing ghazals. Watch the link below:

Ghulam Ali & Jagjit Singh - Kolkata Concert

2008-02-17T22:38:00.000-08:00

I was there at Nazrul Mancha last night for the concert. It was not as great experience as it used to be. Both the masters are past their prime. However, Jagjitji's performance was better than Ghulam Ali. Ghulam Ali saab's voice was tired and out of tune some times. I think all his fans who has seen him in earlier concerts singing effortlessly were disappointed. Only at a later stage in few ghazals like "Kitni muddat baad mile ho" and timeless "Dil mein ek leher si" one could get the glimpse of old Ghulam Ali.

Jagjitji's performance was marginally better. The best part was that he sang some ghazals which he rarely sings nowadays "Yeh inayaten ghazab ki" and "Zindegi tune lahu leke diya". Also there was a soulful rendition of thumri "ab ke sjan ghar aja". Jajijitji's voice also looked tired but his tonal quality is still intact. Also he has the advantage of singing relatively easier compositions than Ghulam Ali saab.

However, the most disappointing part was the short duration of the concert. In fact, Ghulam Ali saab had to cut short his part just when his voice was improving (as we know any senior artist "gala garam karne mein thoda time lagta hain" specially when he is aging) to accommodate Jagjitji. And then Jagjitji had to rush up his rendition and had to reduce number of shers for time constraint.

I think there is no point to have these legends together if you don't have enough time in hand. Both has large number of committed fans who like one of them and unfortunately dislike the other. Both the groups in this case feel cheated. Only guys like me who likes both of them get their paisa vasul to some extent.

Hariharan

2007-08-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

How close ghazal singing is to Indian Classical Music, very close, they are almost same you would say if you listen to Hariharan's recitation. He is awesome(his brilliance and mastery over classical music is almost intimidating). Probably his compositions are the toughest(even if you keep great Ghulam Ali in mind). He uses gamaks almost at every word. He voice has limitless capability which flows through three octaves with unbelievable ease. Some of his ghazals are meant only for connoisseurs(albums like Vishaal). Only problem I have with him is that we do not listen to him much and off late experimenting too much. His recent albums like "Kaash" or "Waqt par bolna" leave a slight sense of disappointments among his ghazal fans. After all heavy duty Hariharan staffs like Vishaal, Haazir or Qarar are something which keep us longing for more.

Some of my favourites are:

1. Koi sayaa jhilmilaya
2. Kab tak yunhi rulayegi
3. Nazaar shanas tha
4. Hawa ka zor hi
5. Usne jab mujh se kiya

Mehdi Hassan

2007-08-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Big Daddy of Ghazal. His gayaki is probably the best. It ranges from simple, soulful to heavy duty classical. His voice is unique, his rendition is sublime and his choice of lyric is impeccable. He is an idol to all ghazal singers(is there any student of ghazal who has not learned "Ranjish hi sahi"?). He has a beautiful balance between soulfulness(like Jagjit Singh) and technique(like Ghulam Ali). His voice is full of pathos which is enchanting(listen to "Dekh toh dil ki jaan se uthta hain" and you will know what is pathos). He has a great sense of discipline unlike many other singers he never goes over board on his harkats & laykari. Very rarely he will use bol taans in his rendition. His voice has a limited range (or may be he does not stretch his voice to higher octaves like Ghulam Ali) but he put all a listener may ask for within that limit itself. His choice of raga acts as a perfect foil to his choice of shers. A career ranging over 50 years produced countless number of unforgettable ghazals. However some of my personal favourites are:

1. Beqarari Si beqarari hain

2. Keya toota hain andaar andaar

3. Kaise Chhupaoon raaz-e-gham

4. Baat karni mujhe

5. Gulon mein rang bhare

Ghulam Ali

2007-08-22T03:36:00.000-07:00

Sharp contrast to Jagjit Singh's style. Very unique. His mastery over classical music is always evident in his rendition. Ghulam Ali's ghazal can be a showroom on hindustani classical music for music students. He can blend multiple ragas in one ghazal without spoiling the mood. However he does all his harkats & laykari with a unique playfulness which even a novice listener can also enjoy. His compositions are tough yet catchy and he gives lot of importance on taal & lay. Ghulam Ali in concert is an experience to live for.

Although he is mostly loved for popular ghazals like Chupke Chupke, Hungama or Awaargi; some of my personal favourites are:

1. Faasle Aise Bhi Honge.

2. Bichhad Ke Bhi Mujhe Tujhse.

3. Koi Samjhaiye Keya.

4. Zakhm-e-tanhai Mein.

5. Meri Nazar Se Na Ho Dur.

I will post my reviews on his ghazals. Postings are welcome from all.

Jagjit Singh

2007-08-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

One of the best in the trade. Very unorthodox ghazal singer. His rendition is simple but soulful. His composition has his signature(some say they are monotonous) simplicity. His soothing baritone voice compliments his compositions nicely. In spite of being a well trained in hindustani classical music, Jagjit does not believe in burdening his rendering with repeatative harkats(improvisations) or unnecessary laykari(playing with tempos). His style of singing has strong influence of Ghazals from Old Hindi Films sung by greats like Talat Mehmood, Md. Rafi & the likes. Jagjit is not only a great composer he is a brilliant music arranger as well; he uses both Indian & Western Instruments in his compositions; & blend them with ease. He is a master of rendering soulful lyrics; where most ghazal singers restrict them in singing about saqi & sharaab, Jagjit chooses poetry on life & philosophy.

Although most of his compositions are awesome here are some of my personal favourites:

Baat Niklegi To Phir (Unforgottebles)
Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi( Mirza Ghalib)
Kaal Choudvi Ki Raat Thi
Duniya Jise Kehete Hain
Aye Khuda Ret ke Sehara Ko

In this blog I will try to review his albums one by one. Postings from others are also welcome

Welcome Ghazal Lovers

2007-08-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all connoisseurs of Urdu Ghazals. In this blog we will be discussing about ghazals sung by maestros like Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali, Mehdi Hassan, Hariharan and the likes. This blog welcomes posting about ghazals on topics like album review, discussion on singers, translation of shers etc.

Personally I will be posting my reviews on ghazal album with my ratings(Of course these will be my personal opinions and recommendations).

Despite being a die hard Jagjit fan I will try to as objective as possible.

Also please note that any negative comment towards any artist, cast, community, country, religion is completely unacceptable and the postings will be immediately removed.

Thanks